Removing black mold is not a terribly difficult task provided you follow some basic safety precautions. If the affected area is small, say less than 10 square feet, removal can be accomplished fairly easily using a little PPE (personal protective equipment), such as a pair of rubber gloves to protect your hands, goggles to keep the spores from entering your eyes, and a NIOSH approved respirator (preferably an N-95 model by 3-M).
Once you have gathered the necessary safety equipment, simply head off to any big-box home improvement such as Home Depot, Lowe’s or even Ace Hardware and you will be presented with a myriad of mold removal sprays. I have used the concrobium mold control spray with great success in the past, it is a relatively inexpensive fungistat / mildewstat and works very well provided you follow the directions on the label.
This particular type of mold control spray works by forming an invisible shield that surrounds mold and prevents mold growth from recurring. Concrobium mold spray does not contain any bleach, alcohol, ammonia or harmful VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and is completely odorless and colorless.
The direction are extremely easy to follow, I will give a brief introduction below:
Concrobium mold control spray is suitable for use or wallboard, plaster, wood metal and masonry. To use this product, visible mold growth should be removed prior to application using an approved method (Hepa vacuums work well and can be rented in most major cities). Do not attempt to use a Shop Vac for this process unless you have enough hose to locate the vacuum itself on the exterior of your home. Not following the previous directions will allow the inadequate vacuum to blow mold out the exhaust port all over the interior of your home causing a larger infestation. If you decide to use your regular vacuum you will also need to do a thorough cleaning afterward.
If all that does not appeal to you, another effective way is using a stiff bristled scrub brush to knock down the visible dirt and mold from your chosen surface.
After visible mold is removed apply your chosen spray until the entire surface is evenly wet. After application you can use a clean cloth to speed up the drying process and to avoid residue marking. This product is good for preventative as well as remedial procedures and will almost instantly remove the obnoxious odor caused by the dreaded black mold.
In closing, the removal of black mold shouldn’t be a process that puts fear in anyone who is a relatively healthy individual. If, however you are immune system compromised, elderly or pregnant it may be better to leave the removal and remediation to someone with the experience and tools to complete the job thoroughly while you stay far away from the action. Do not hesitate to call in professional help if the scope of the project is much larger than you think you’re able to handle effectively and safely. It is very easy to cause more damage during the removal process if proper sealing off of the area is not performed, as there will be many airborne spores that could easily float to other, non affected areas of your home causing more problems.